This is the second painting I submitted for the Summer show at the RA, the first being the portrait of of my uncle Peter.
A completely different kind of painting altogether, I wanted to explore pure colour, to find the clearest, strongest ways to show its true nature and behaviour in watercolour medium. Only three colours are used, cyan, magenta and yellow, employing juxtaposition, overlay and tone as well as wet and dry paper and re-wetting techniques. Each colour is laid on individually, not mixed.
As a jeweller my work is very much about control, my designs are geometric and ordered, serendipity is a rare and welcome component, usually appearing whilst pushing the limits of the material. This process follows through in the “Dots” series of paintings. I begin from a precise positioned grid of marks, working on wet and/or dry paper, overlaying in several passes following a strict order whilst allowing accidental or material based irregularities to occur. Colours are applied with droppers or with broad washes laid over dried dots, allowing the colours to soften and run at will. 
This following painting uses another technique, I laid down intense drops of colour on dry paper and allowed them to dry out completely before brushing over them with clear water and a large brush, spreading the colour and making the colours run.
Sally Wakelin - Studies in Creativity 
Love these, Sally. I’ve been messing around with watercolor again during the past year. I just love the quality of the color layers as the brightness of the paper shines through it.
Good luck with your entry!
Thanks Anita, I love watercolour too, its so difficult to control but so satisfying when it works out right. This series took a hell of a lot of practice, they look simple but are quite tricky, watching for the paper and/or colours to dry to the right degree before progressing or the colours will mix too much and turn muddy.
Now I am working on some new pieces in a different style using very large brushes.